


The Man Who Came to Dinner

by nachocheese26



Series: The Gangsitter [7]
Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Beth is trying her best, F/M, Gen, Stan and Rio are best buddies, Thanksgiving, all kids love Rio, and Noah is awkward, everyone is under the same roof, except for Sara Hill, soft Rio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-01-18 16:08:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21279509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nachocheese26/pseuds/nachocheese26
Summary: It was going to be a full house with all of the kids and their cousins and Beth couldn’t think of how to make this Thanksgiving even more perfect.“Are you sure Rio can’t come?” Danny asked, trailing after Beth in his pajamas while she worked on boiling the potatoes.Okay, there was one last thing that might make it even more perfect, but Beth didn't want to consider it. Even if this wasn't the first, second, or even third time that one of the kids asked her about inviting Rio.“No, Danny. He’s got his own family and I’m sure he’s planning on being with them all day today," Beth responded, splitting her attention between him and the potatoes.“But did you ask him? Rio always says that he’ll come over if we ask him to.”
Relationships: Annie Marks/Noah, Beth Boland/Rio, Ruby Hill/Stan Hill
Series: The Gangsitter [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1494128
Comments: 68
Kudos: 280





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh look at that...another chapter fic...I swear, this was only going to be a one-shot, but then I started writing and before I knew it, it was becoming too long...so here we are! But you know I had to do a fic like this. Everyone officially met each other, now to get them all under one roof and what better opportunity for that than for Thanksgiving dinner!

This Thanksgiving was going to be different. Beth swore to herself that it would be different. Because this was the first Thanksgiving after the divorce and she had the kids this year. She wanted it to be extra special for this kids because while she was more than okay without Dean’s presence this year, he was still their dad and the kids were going to feel his absence.

And maybe there was a small, tiny, petty part of her that wanted them to enjoy Thanksgiving with her more than with Dean.

Annie and Ruby were coming this year too. Well, Annie always came over, but this year was her year with Sadie and the Hill family was a special treat. They usually went with Stan’s family, but his parents decided that this year they were going on a cruise for Thanksgiving. It was a surprise, but Ruby wasn’t complaining.

It was going to be a full house with all of the kids and their cousins and Beth couldn’t think of how to make this Thanksgiving even more perfect.

“Are you _sure_ Rio can’t come?” Danny asked, trailing after Beth in his pajamas while she worked on boiling the potatoes.

Okay, there was one last thing that might make it even more perfect, but Beth didn't want to consider it. Even if this wasn't the first, second, or even third time that one of the kids asked her about inviting Rio.

“No, Danny. He’s got his own family and I’m sure he’s planning on being with them all day today," Beth responded, splitting her attention between him and the potatoes.

“But did you ask him? Rio always says that he’ll come over if we ask him to.”

Beth gave a small huff, pausing in her seasoning of the potatoes to look at him. “Why do you want him to come over?”

Danny shrugged. “Because we like him and…” He looked down, swinging a foot back and forth as he pressed his hands against the kitchen counter. “Dad’s not here this year.”

A small breath escaped her lips, making sure she wasn’t actually facing any of the food while exhaling. It wasn’t that Beth didn’t want Rio to come over for Thanksgiving. She actually thought about calling him a week ago to see if maybe he might consider coming by.

But what did that mean about the status of their relationship? She still wasn’t even sure what kind of relationship she had with that man. Were they friends? Business partners? Lovers? Fuck buddies?

None of that was even taking into consideration the kids and the fact that they _loved_ Rio. Sometimes, Beth wondered if they might love him just a little bit more than their own dad. Or at the very least, held them both at the same level.

She wasn’t exactly sure how healthy that was considering she couldn’t even define her relationship with Rio.

Plus, she hadn’t spoken to him since Halloween. Except for a few business calls and meetings, but every time it seemed like he was shifting gears and attempting to just _talk_, Beth came up with some excuse to end the conversation.

How could she just call him up the day of Thanksgiving and invite him over?

“Mommy?”

Beth blinked, her thoughts fading back to the furthest edges of her mind. “Okay, fine. I’ll call him,” she said, drying her hands on her apron, before her mind could catch up to what she actually said.

Danny shot his fist up in the air in victory, watching as Beth grabbed her phone. Danny didn’t leave the kitchen, obviously waiting to make sure Beth actually made the call.

God, her kids were persistent.

And she could already hear Rio’s voice telling her, “Just like you, mama.”

She swallowed hard and listened as the phone rang. “He’s probably busy and might not even answer the phone,” she said, more for her sake than for Danny’s.

But Danny waited patiently and just when Beth expected the voicemail recording to answer, his raspy voice sounded in her eat.

_“What’s up?”_

* * *

Rio let out a groan, slouching a little in his chair as he pushed his plate away. There was still some stuffing and half a tamal on his plate, but he was done. There was no way he could fit more food into him.

He listened to the conversation around him. Thanksgiving was just for immediate family. Meaning, his mom, his brothers and their families. All of his aunts and uncles agreed to this only because Christmas was basically a three-day celebration for them and then there was New Years a week later followed by Epiphany.

And Rio always enjoyed Thanksgiving much more than the other holidays. Because not only was it the official beginning to tamale season, but because it was a smaller gathering and there was actually room to sit at the dining table,

“I just wish Christopher would’ve brought Elizabeth. That would’ve been nice to have her and her kids over,” Rosie said, getting up and beginning to clear away some dishes.

Rio rolled his eyes, getting up and grabbing all the plates from her. The teasing was about to begin and he wanted to be as far away as possible from it while still making sure none of his brothers said anything too disrespectful. “She’s got her own family, Mom,” he said over his shoulder as he carried all the plates into the kitchen.

“Wait, I thought you said she was divorced. Don’t that mean it’s a perfect time to start bringing her around for all the family holidays?” Junior teased, taking a sip of his beer.

Rio glared at him, staring at him as he turned on the faucet, making it difficult to hear him over the running water.

“Come on, man. Let’s leave him alone for today,” Charlie said,

Rio began counting the seconds. Because he knew Charlie was only saying that to throw in some kind of comment that would only serve to humiliate Rio further.

“Look at him. He’s washing the dishes to try and ignore the hard on he’s got for her.”

His brother’s erupted in laughter, followed by their wives scolding them and Rosie pushing her chair back loudly and declaring to leave her _mijito_ alone.

Rio clenched his jaw, ignoring their taunts. He didn’t understand why they were bothering him so much today.

It could just be because of his over-indulgence with the turkey.

Or it could be the fact that he barely heard from her since Halloween.

It wasn’t that she was screening his calls again. She would answer his calls or messages, meet up with him when they needed to discuss business plans or exchange goods.

But that was it.

_Just_ business.

Sometimes, he couldn’t understand her at all.

And other times, he understood perfectly. Because there was something very different about this. Whatever this was between them…it was…he couldn’t explain it, but there was something in him too that wanted to cover it up with _just_ business.

But he wasn’t the type to run from things. And he sure as hell wouldn’t be running from this. He was ready to unbury this whole thing and figure it out.

Elizabeth wasn’t ready though and he knew nothing was going to happen until she was ready to take that first step.

Thinking about it, Rio realized he didn’t mind waiting.

He felt his phone begin vibrating. He turned off the faucet and dried off his hands before pulling it out.

‘Elizabeth’ flashed on the screen.

He glanced over his shoulder, seeing his brothers were now teasing on of Damian's kids. He answered the phone, stepping outside through the kitchen door. “What’s up?” he asked, keeping his tone neutral.

There was a pause and for a moment, he thought that maybe she dialed by accident. Then he heard her clearing her throat. _“Hey, Rio, happy Thanksgiving!”_

He bit back a smirk, even though there wasn’t anyone around to see it. “Yeah, you called me for somethin’?” He wasn’t about to let her off so easily.

_“Well, I…so this is our first Thanksgiving without Dean.”_

Rio clenched his jaw at the mention of her ex-husband. “He causin’ trouble?” Because he had no hesitation in cappin’ a bitch. Again.

_“No, of course not. I…I’m setting my limits.”_

He relaxed a little, even smiling slightly. “That’s good, ma.”

But she was stalling and if she wasn’t going to say why she called him then he would just-

_“Do you want to come over for dinner with us?”_

Rio wasn’t expecting that. And he was glad his surprise didn’t show on his face.

_“I know it’s a late invitation and you’re probably with your family. You know what? It’s fine actually. Don’t worry about it. You enjoy your time with your family and say hi to your mom.”_

In the background, Rio could barely make out the sound of Danny asking what Beth was doing and why she wouldn’t let Rio answer.

“What time’s dinner?” Rio asked before she could move on to saying goodbye and hanging up.

A small beat of silence passed before she answered. _“Usually around six." _She paused again. "_The kids really want you to come.”_

He wondered if she was including herself in that statement too.

Rio pursed his lips and looked down at his watch. They were about to start up the annual Rivera soccer game of adults versus kids. At this point, Rio was basically the one holding his team together as the kids were obviously getting older and better with every year. His team would be lost without him. Not to mention he literally just ate and didn’t think he could eat again for a few days.

But he still found himself saying, “Okay. I’ll be there.”

Beth gave a small exhale and he was almost positive she wasn’t trying to smile. _“Okay. We’ll see you then.”_

Rio hung up and looked at his watch. He had just a little less than three hours until six. If he went inside and got everyone riled up for the game already, he’d be able to leave with Marcus in tow while everyone was eating post-game desserts.

* * *

Beth pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at the hopeful smile on Danny’s face.

“Is he coming?” he asked, practically bouncing with anticipation.

Beth couldn’t help her smile. “Yes, he’s coming.”

Danny jumped up once before wrapping his arms around Beth’s waist. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!”

Then as quickly as he hugged her, he let go and ran out of the kitchen to announce to his other siblings the news.

Upstairs, she could hear the excited squeals from Jane and Emma, Kenny poking his head down the stairs and asking Beth if it was true that Rio was coming.

“Yes, he’s coming and I expect _all of you_ to be on your best behavior!” Beth called out so the other three could hear her from upstairs.

She continued her prepping of the dinner, making sure the gravy was ready, stuffing was good, all the vegetables perfectly seasoned. Then she moved on to deep cleaning the living room and dining room as if the FBI was going to raid her home.

Halfway through, she decided it would probably be a good idea to notify her other guests of the last minute invitation she made.

Making a conference call, Beth waited for Ruby and Annie to pick up.

Annie was the first one.

_“Yes! I got the cranberry sauce!”_

Beth didn’t flinch at Annie’s greeting. “That’s not why I was calling, but good to know.”

_“Hey B, what’s going on?”_ Ruby’s voice came through the speaker before Annie could give Beth a snarky comment.

Beth took a deep breath. “I did something.”

_“Oh my-! What have I told you about starting out conversations like that?!” _Ruby hissed.

Annie laughed a little maniacally. _“Oh, I’m excited to hear what this is. But hurry up because-“_

Annie’s voice cut out.

Beth frowned. “Annie?”

_“Her phone probably died again. You know she still hasn’t bought a charger.”_

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

_“But you said you did something. And I don’t care if Annie isn’t on this call to find out what it is, you have to tell me. There is no way I’m sitting through Thanksgiving dinner with you if you don’t tell me what you did.”_

Beth took a deep breath. “I invited Rio.”

Ruby didn’t respond.

“And he said he’ll come.”

Ruby still didn’t respond.

Beth was becoming slightly alarmed. “I know I should’ve probably asked you and Annie about it first, but the kids just really wanted him to come and I kind of…well, I didn’t exactly want him here, but then maybe I kind of did and it’s just…” Beth stopped herself. She was rambling. And Ruby still hadn’t given her an answer which was making her ramble even more. “It’s their first Thanksgiving without Dean. I want it to be as perfect as possible for them. And they really wanted Rio to come.”

_“They weren’t the only ones though, were they?”_ Ruby asked, knowing exactly why Beth had begun rambling.

Sometimes, Beth thought Ruby knew her _too_ well. “I don’t know,” Beth groaned. “I don’t know. I don’t know what to even think about him or us or if there’s even an ‘us’!”

_“Stan’s pretty convinced there is an ‘us’ with you too.”_

Beth barked out a laugh.

_“It’s fine, B. So long as he doesn’t bring a gun. Stan and Harry are going to be happy to hear he’s coming.”_

“And Sara?”

Ruby snorted a little. _“The girl is too much like her mama.”_

Beth smiled. “Do you think Annie’s going to be okay with it?”

_“She’s going to have to be. Besides, Sadie likes gang sitter.”_

Beth scrunched up her nose. "Are we really calling him that now?"

_"Uh, yes."_

“What is it with kids liking him so much?”

Ruby laughed. _“I have no idea.”_

* * *

Just like Rio predicted, the house fell into a soft kind of peace. The kind that wasn’t experienced in any kind of Rivera gathering _except_ for after their soccer game on Thanksgiving. The younger of his nephews were in a daze, watching a Christmas movie while eating some ice cream. His brothers, their wives, and his mom, were outside sitting around a fire while talking softly over champurrado and pumpkin pie.

Rio got up under the guise that he was going to refill his mug with more champurrado. Once inside though, he rinsed his mug, stuck it in the dishwasher, and went into the living room. He searched the piles of sweaty bodies stretched out on the couches and floor until he saw Marcus.

“Marcus, come on,” Rio said, motioning with his head for him to get up. “Let’s get your jacket on.”

Marcus frowned, bringing his empty bowl with him. “Are we leaving already?” he asked, none of his cousins taking their eyes away from the TV.

Rio nodded, leading Marcus away from his cousins in case they overheard and went gossiping to the adults. “We’re stoppin’ by with Miss Elizabeth. That okay?”

Marcus’ eyes lit up. “Are we gonna eat some more?”

“You’re hungry again?”

Marcus grinned and nodded.

Rio chuckled a little, shoving Marcus’ head gently and directing him down the hall to the spare bedroom where all the coats were thrown. He made sure Marcus zipped up his jacket right, his scarf was covering his neck well, and the beanie was snug over his ears.

Rio was already bundled up, he was just going to have to pop back outside really quick, give an excuse about Marcus wanting to leave already and he could leave before they really start questioning him.

Except as they came down the hallway, his mom was in the kitchen. She leaned against the counter and looked at them both, taking in their coats and scarves. “You’re leaving already?” Rosie asked.

“Yeah, um…”

“We’re going to go to Miss Lizbeth’s house,” Marcus proudly declared.

They were going to have to work on their secret keeping skills.

Rosie raised an eyebrow, a smile playing at her mouth. “Is that so?”

Rio nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets and giving the appearance as if he could care less. But this was his mom. He couldn’t fool her. “Yeah, last minute invitation.”

Rosie didn’t bother hiding her smile. “Ay, Christopher, I’m so happy! I was so scared you were going to stay here the whole day.”

Rio titled his head. “Wait, you didn’t want us to stay the whole day? You’ve got everyone else out there and they’re staying the whole day too.”

Rosie waved her hand at his comment, turning away from him and grabbing a pot from one of the cabinets. She then proceeded to fill the pot with the freshly made tamales. “I don’t want you showing up there empty handed. You make sure she knows these are from _me_ though. I don’t want you taking any credit for them.”

Rio rolled his eyes, walking into the kitchen and leaning against the counter while Rosie filled the pot to the brim with tamales.

It looked like maybe four or five dozen in there. And looking at what was left for their own family, it was _still_ over a twenty dozen. Easy.

Rio looked over to see that Marcus had wandered back into the living room. He didn’t sit down though, leaning against the wall to keep watching the movie while he waited for Rio.

“Maybe next year, she can come over for Thanksgiving lunch.” Rosie said, covering the pot with a towel and handing it to Rio.

Rio took it and gave a small shrug. “She’s got her own family.” “And so do you, but now you’re leaving to go spend time with hers.”

Rio opened his mouth to protest, but Rosie shook her head.

“Mijo, it’s fine. I’m _happy _for you. I’m happy that this is finally happening.”

“Mom, _nothing_ is happening between us. Don’t think it ever will.”

Rosie rolled her eyes. “You’re always so cynical. Why can’t you just grab on to a little hope now and then?”

Rio smirked. “Because grabbin’ on to hope ain’t ever done me any good.”

Rosie placed a hand over her heart. _“Ay, pobresito!_” Then she scoffed, gave his cheek a light slap and shook her head. “I don’t know why you weren’t an actor or at least a writer. You definitely have enough dramatic flair for either career.”

Rio laughed softly.

Rosie let out a soft sigh and cupped Rio’s chin. “I just want all of my children happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“Thought the only thing you ever wanted was a bigger house so you can have all the grandkids sleep over?”

At his comment, Rosie rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. “I’m being serious right now.”

Rio leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “So am I,” he said with a grin. “Thanks, Mom. I’ll come by tomorrow to help with the Christmas lights.”

He called for Marcus to come say goodbye to Rosie and the two were walking out the door right at the same moment Charlie was walking in through the kitchen door.

Rio shut the front door behind him just as he heard Charlie asking Rosie, “Flaco’s leavin’ already?”

He wasn’t about to turn around and explain things to his brother. Rosie would answer and at this point, Rio didn’t care if she told him the truth or not. He was out the door and Charlie’s comments and endless teasing could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

The kids were in the living room, watching _A Charlie Brown Thanskgiving_. She had Danny and Kenny come help her set the table and just as she was setting down the last plate, the front door opened.

“Aunt Ruby! Uncle Stan!”

Beth smiled, seeing Ruby come in with her family right behind her. Hugs went all around, as they came in.

Well, Ruby and Stan hugged as best they could considering they were both holding casserole dishes.

Beth motioned for them to come into the dining room, showing them exactly where to place their dishes.

And once they were on the table, Beth hugged them both. “Oh my God, thank you so much for bringing the turkey. I mean, it’s done on time! I don’t think I’ve ever had a Thanksgiving where the turkey’s been on time. And it smells so good!"

“Oh, I got you covered,” Stan said, waving away her compliment. “I’ve had this thing brining since Tuesday evening. See, the secret is to-“

“Okay, babe, we don’t need a step by step of how to cook a turkey. Just so long as you delivered, we’re good,” Ruby interrupted.

Stan scrunched up his nose playfully at Ruby, before giving her a quick peck on the lips. “Imma see if I can convince the munchkins to switch it to the game.”

Beth smiled at Ruby and Stan. Deep down, she had always been jealous of their easy interactions. She’d never experienced that with Dean.

Then she squashed the thought in her mind that said she might be able to experience that with Rio.

Beth blew out a small breath, looking back to the table full of food. “I think I made enough food.”

“Uh, you think?” Ruby teased, setting her purse down on one of the kitchen barstools. “This could feed an army, B.”

Beth smiled, looking with pride at her table full of food.

“So…how are you feeling?” Ruby asked quietly as Stan began explaining why it was a much better idea to watch the game instead of what they were currently watching.

“Really good actually,” Beth said. “I mean, I don’t have Dean's mom trying to sneak in her seasonings into my food or her passive-aggressive comments. The turkey is actually done on time for once and he could never make it taste good and remember that one year he almost set the house on fire!”

Ruby snorted and shook her head. “Oh yeah, I remember you calling right afterwards.” But then Ruby raised her eyebrow and Beth knew exactly what she was trying to say.

“I’m _fine_,” Beth said. “Really. It’s going to be fine and it’s going to be totally normal.”

Ruby didn’t look convinced.

Beth rolled her eyes a little. “Okay, maybe I am wondering what the hell I just did, but the kids were so excited. So it’s going to be good. I promise you, it’s going to be good.”

“Well, I’ll just add this to the list of things I never thought would happen. Having Thanksgiving dinner with gang sitter.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Beth asked, “I can call him up and say-“

Ruby shook her head and interrupted Beth. “I know you, B. I know you want him here just as much as the kids. Maybe even more.”

Beth opened her mouth to protest. Or to at least to somehow defend her actions or feelings. But the front door opened and she heard the kids calling out. “Rio!”

She smoothed out any wrinkles in her dress, fluffed up her hair a little, and walked towards the front door, ignoring the smirk on Ruby’s face.

Stan was ushering Rio in, taking the pot from him and leaving him alone to fight off the crowding children.

“Oh, you didn’t have to bring anything,” Beth said by way of greeting.

Rio shrugged. “My mom wanted to send over some tamales.”

Stan stopped, turning to look at Rio then down to the pot. “You serious? Like homemade ones?”

“Imma pretend you didn’t just ask me that,” Rio said in a tone Beth hadn’t heard in a long time. The kind he used when he asked her for his money those first few meetings.

But Stan just started laughing and Rio broke into a smile as well, his eyes moving from Stan to Beth.

Then he turned his attention to the kids, let them all say their individual greetings and get out every word they wanted to say to him before moving back into the living room and taking Marcus with them. It didn't slip Beth's attention though that Sara had been the only one to stay in the living room, barely giving Rio a wave as he walked in.

Once the kids were all settled back in the living room, Rio dragged his attention back to Beth. He licked his lips and Beth hated that already, her skin had broken out into little goosebumps. Then he made a show of looking around the house and over her shoulder at the set dining table. He raised his eyebrows at all the food and focused back on her. “You expectin’ twenty other people?”

Beth gave a small scoff at his tease. “No, that’s just how much I always cook.” She pursed her lips and took a small breath. “Seriously, thank you for coming. It means a whole lot to the kids,” she said, lowering her voice as she spoke.

Rio took a couple steps forward. Beth didn’t move. “All you gotta do is ask, mami.”

She saw him reach his hand out to push hair out of her face, but just over his shoulder, she could make out Annie’s car pulling up in the street through the frosted glass of the front door.

She needed to tell Annie he was here before she came barreling into the house and went into some kind of shock at seeing him.

Beth sidestepped and spun a little, directing him towards the table and telling him that he knew where everything was and to make himself comfortable. She missed the look of surprise on his face that lasted all but half a second. Without looking back to see if he went into the dining room or not, Beth stepped out of the house, closing the front door behind her.

When Beth was halfway down the driveway, Annie hopped out of the car and proudly held out the can of cranberry sauce. “The party can officially begin!” She sang.

And Beth was about to make a comment to tease Annie, but then the passenger door opened and it wasn’t Sadie that came out.

It was Noah. Giving her a sheepish smile and a wave.

Annie skipped up the driveway, seeing that Noah was helping Sadie get out of the car with his crutches. “So…I was going to tell you, but then my phone died and I…” Annie gave a cross between a smile and a grimace. “I invited Noah.”

Beth blinked at the man then looked back at Annie and breathlessly replied. “Rio's here."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this has actually been edited and ready to go for a few days now...but life has recently become crazy and I'm currently hosting family so...¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Thank you so much for all the kind kudos and reviews!!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!

The two sisters stared at each other, eyes wide and waiting for the other to say something. To explain what the hell they were thinking, inviting someone over that wasn’t on the approved guest list.

“You invited _Gang sitter_?” Annie hissed first before Noah and Sadie could start making their way up the driveway.

“And you invited Noah?!” Beth hissed back, matching Annie’s accusatory tone.

“Yeah, well, I was at least going to tell you! But then my phone died and well, you know…” Annie threw her hands in the air as if that was excuse enough.

Beth scoffed, shaking her head. “And I was going to tell you too _but then your phone died_!”

“Alright, fine! Just blame this all on me! Like always!”

“I’m not-!” Beth huffed and swallowed back the rest of her yell. She glanced at Annie’s car to see Noah and Sadie either couldn’t hear them or were too preoccupied with trying to get Sadie standing comfortably with his crutches.

But it didn’t matter if they had their attention or not. Because Sadie pointed with one of his crutches as Rio’s car. “Is that who I think it is?” he called out with a wide smile, looking from the car to Beth.

And Beth should’ve known better that of course this Thanksgiving was going to be a disaster. Because that’s how life worked for her. Dean would always be the fun parent that had his life under control and the kids would want to spend Thanksgiving with him every year after the shit storm that was about to go down with a gang lord and an FBI agent sitting across from each other, an ex-cop who lost his job because of both men, and eight kids running around the house wondering why all the adults were so tense.

Judging by the way Noah’s face visibly pinched after recognizing Rio's car, Beth was probably imagining the best scenario.

She quickly put on a smile as Sadie still had a smile on his face. “Yeah, a last-minute invitation!” She gave Annie’s arm a subtle pinch while Annie returned the gesture with a loud laugh to hide her grimace.

“Yeah! I mean, last-minute invitations are literally the best? It’s going to get lit tonight!” Annie pumped her hands in the air as Noah and Sadie finally made their way up the driveway.

“I’m definitely breaking out the bourbon,” Beth mumbled under her breath, only Annie catching her words.

“So long as I can chase that with some tequila,” Annie shot back just as quietly.

At least Sadie still didn’t seem to pick up on the tension, but Noah obviously did.

Or maybe it was his own tension at the fact that he was about to share dinner with a known criminal and his morals were in conflict now.

The idea of Noah having morals made Beth want to scoff actually. Because thinking about it, she considered Rio to have better morals than the man currently helping Sadie up the driveway. But that was a topic for a completely different time.

“I hope it’s all right,” Noah said, pausing in front of Beth and leaving Sadie to make his way to the house on his own. “I, um, well, Annie said it’d be fine and she didn’t actually know I was going to be here-“

“Yeah, it was all a great surprise and I’m glad he’s here and it’s going to be a great dinner and the kids are going to have an amazing time and _we’re_ going to have an amazing time too,” Annie said, weaving her arm through Noah’s arm.

Beth could pick up on that small lilt in Annie’s voice. The same one she always used when she was trying to convince herself that a lie she told was actually true.

And Beth wanted to believe her lie too.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Beth said out of politeness. “There’s plenty of food so don’t worry about that.”

“And besides, we brought the cranberry sauce,” Annie reminded as she held up the canned sauce.

Beth blinked. “Yeah, and you brought cranberry sauce.”

The three of them continued up the driveway to the front door, attempting small talk, but no one was really paying attention to the comments about the weather they were having.

Beth took a deep breath before walking inside. Sadie had left the door opened just a little when he went in and she could already hear him explaining all the new drawings and signatures on his cast to Kenny and Sara.

And then she heard Rio laugh.

Standing in the doorway, she could see Sadie sitting on the back of the sofa, pointing out a drawing of what looked like Winnie-the-Pooh. And Rio was smiling that unguarded smile of his that she so rarely saw.

He looked up when he heard her come in, still smiling that same unguarded smile.

Except a second later, she saw something flash in his eyes as he saw Noah standing behind her and Annie. While he was still smiling, it had changed into something dark and teasing.

Oh God…he was going to do his best to provoke Noah, wasn’t he? Because that’s just who he was and what he did.

Before he could say anything though, Kenny caught his attention, pointing at something on Sadie’s cast.

Maybe she could keep them separated with help from the kids…

“Come on, it’s time to eat!” Beth said, grabbing the remote to turn off the TV and herding the kids into the living room. She watched as Annie quickly pulled Noah along and Ruby’s wide eyes as she saw her come in with Noah.

Rio lingered in the living room, making sure all the kids had left before heading to the dining room himself.

Except Beth stopped him and pulled him back towards the front door.

“Everythin’ good?” he asked, his bottom lip jutting out into a small pout as he made his eyes as innocent as possible. He most definitely knew that everything was _not_ good.

Beth crossed her arms. “Please behave.”

“I ain’t even done nothin’ yet,” he said, his lips turning up into a smirk.

Beth gave a small huff. “Just…_don’t_ do anything. Okay? I swear, I didn’t know he was coming and-“

“Elizabeth,” Rio interrupted, resting his hands on her shoulders. “It’s fine. I’ll play nice so long as he does.”

“And if he doesn’t, can you still play nice?”

Rio dropped his hands and tilted his head. “Why should I?”

“Because you’d be doing it for the kids.”

Rio pursed his lips and nodded after a few beats. “A’ight. But I’d also be doin’ it for you.”

Beth felt her cheeks warming as he turned around and headed for the dining room. She mentally shook herself though and followed him into the dining room where everyone was picking out their spots.

When her and Dean bought the house, they had the table custom-made. Normally, it could fit six people easily. But adding a few table leaves, it could seat up to fifteen

The table was massive, but everyone could sit comfortably and Beth didn’t have to pull out another table for the kids.

And the only two available seats were at the head of the table. The place she always sat at during Thanksgiving dinners.

And the spot Dean always took.

Without knowing, Rio took Dean’s old place.

At least Beth’s hesitation to take her seat went unnoticed.

By everyone except for Annie and Ruby.

Annie, of course, smirked and waggled her eyebrows a little while Ruby just shrugged and gave Beth her best encouraging smile.

Somehow though, she was sure Rio had sensed her hesitation, even if his back was towards her. Without turning away from Marcus and Jane as they talked over each other in a race to see who could tell him the same story first, he grabbed the back of her chair and pulled it out, letting his hand linger on the seat as if he patted it in an invitation for her to sit.

Not that she needed an invitation to sit down. This was _her_ home. _Her_ dining table. _Her_ family.

And not for the first time, Beth found herself wondering when exactly had it become natural to see Rio in her home, at her dining table, with her family?

She sat down without further hesitation,

Only to be presented with the next issue that she should’ve thought of before.

The turkey.

It was in front of her and Rio.

And Dean was always the one that carved the turkey. He always made it such a big deal. That the man of the house should do it, telling Kenny and Danny when they had families of their own, this would be their job during Thanksgiving.

When she looked away from the turkey, she noticed that the only other person who seemed to notice this issue was Kenny.

He looked conflicted, staring at the turkey then to Rio.

Sensing Kenny’s eyes on him, Rio finally looked away from Marcus and Jane and met Kenny’s eyes, who quickly looked away as he clenched his jaw.

Beth could hear Rio give a small exhale before reaching for the knife she set out and pushed it closer to her. “Whenever you’re ready,” he said quietly, looking at her through his eyelashes and not bringing more attention to the situation.

Beth took the knife and began carving the turkey, deciding to forego the dramatization Dean always insisted on, a speech and making everyone say what they were thankful for.

They could do that afterwards, when their stomachs weren’t rumbling with hunger.

She started putting pieces of turkey on the plates surrounding her and soon other plates were being handed to her and everyone was digging into all the food with plates being passed back and forth and chatter over how much potatoes to put and make sure the gravy doesn’t touch the green beans and how amazing is it that they get to have tamales with their Thanksgiving dinner this year and could this happen every year now?

And just for a moment, Beth felt as if everything was right in the world.

Then of course, she heard Annie give a snort and she looked to see her head pressed against Noah’s as they were giggling over something on Noah’s phone.

Annie had shit taste in men.

“You sure you still want me to play nice?”

Beth turned to see Rio leaning in close as he spoke softly with a teasing grin on his face. She rolled her eyes and gave him a small shove. “_Yes_,” she hissed back.

Rio shrugged, sitting up straight again and spearing some green beans onto his fork. He opened his mouth to most likely tease her some more, but then Stan called out from across the table that the tamales were amazing

“You said your mom made them? Think she’d share the recipe?”

Rio scoffed. “I’ve been tryin’ to get her to teach me, but she’s always kicking me out of the kitchen.”

“That’s because you and Tio Junior always start playing with the masa and getting it on each other,” Marcus said with his best disapproving look.

“Oh, I didn’t realize you had a brother,” Noah said, looking at Rio for just a second before looking back down to his plate.

Annie gave Noah a rough poke in his side that all the adults noticed.

“Yeah, he’s got three,” Marcus explained. “Tio Junior, Tio Dam-“

“Marcus, don’t talk with food in your mouth,” Rio cut Marcus off quickly.

“But I don’t have any food in mouth.”

“Yeah, ‘cause it’s all sittin’ there getting cold. Come on, stop talkin’ and eat.”

Rio’s voice wasn’t harsh, but it still made Marcus furrow his brow as he looked back down to his plate and stuffed a slice of ham that was too big into his mouth.

“But Rio’s got like a huge family,” Jane filled in as Marcus was occupied. She titled her head up as she started thinking. “It was like-“

“So how’s everyone liking the mashed potatoes?” Beth interrupted. “I made them a bit differently this year.”

“Oh yeah!” Ruby exclaimed, pointing down at the potatoes on her plate. “I thought there was something different.”

“Is it cayenne?” Annie asked.

“Yeah, just a little sprinkle.”

“Oh, God, Stan goes crazy with cayenne.”

“No, it’s ‘cause you don’t understand, babe. Cayenne is on the top ten list of best spices, if not the top five.”

And the conversation turned to spices and Beth felt as if they had just dodged an incredibly awkward conversation.

But then Rio’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out, glancing at the notification before snapping his eyes to look directly at Sadie.

Sadie shrugged and gave a smile that was a cross between a sheepish smile and a full-on grin. “I want to know how many siblings you’ve got," he said.

And while there was still a discussion between the adults about spices, the kids, who decided spices was the boringest topic ever, were now curious as to what Sadie was talking about.

Kenny and Sara were sitting on either side of him, so they were able to look over and see what Sadie was looking at on his phone before looking to Rio.

“Your real name is-?”

“Does anyone want more turkey?” Beth cut off Sara

“Wait, Uncle Stan’s friends with you on Facebook?” Kenny asked.

“Well, I…you know we went to the same high school and…” Stan scratched the back of his head. “Man, has anyone see that clip of Ocasio just grillin’ Mark Zuckerberg? Maybe there’s some hope for internet security.”

“Oh yeah! She’s such a badass and I love her,” Annie added, taking a long sip of wine right after speaking.

"Huh, I didn't realize you would be on Facebook," Noah said, not looking at Rio. "How are his privacy settings, Sadie?"

Then Rio let his fork clatter to the plate loudly, folding his hands and leaning forward on the table. “I got three older brothers,” he said, looking directly at Noah. “Damian, Junior, and Charlie. You’ve only got a younger sister though. What’s her name…? Oh yeah. Margie. Heard she helps your ex out a lot with your son, Justin. He’s ‘bout to become a green belt at his karate school, right? The one that your ex co-owns with her new husband actually. Paradise Valley School of Karate.”

It was deathly still, Rio and Noah glaring at each other and everyone else looking back and forth between them.

Then Harry sneezed and Sara exclaimed, “Harry! You got boogers all over my food!”

The younger kids immediately started laughing and Emma declared that she could see some extra green on Sara’s plate. Then they began teasing Harry and mocking his sneeze, which actually sounded like a combination of a duck and a car stalling.

Harry protested while Ruby grabbed Sara’s plate and said she could just get a new one and Stan reprimanded Harry for sneezing with his mouth open.

The chatter around the table was mainly coming from the kids now. Beth looked over at Annie and saw her finish off her entire glass of wine, then reaching over and pouring some more while whispering something to Noah without actually looking at him.

Beth took that moment, to place her hand on Rio’s knee and give it a squeeze. “I said to _play nice_,” she hissed, digging her nails a little into his knee.

Rio jerked a little, turning his glare to Beth. “He started it,” Rio hissed back. “You think I’m just gonna sit back and let him try and pull information about me usin' these kids?”

“No, but you could consider your words a little more carefully or at least wait until the kids aren’t at the table anymore!”

Rio opened his mouth to protest some more, but then a chair scraped loudly and Sadie was getting up, struggling a little to get his crutches right.

“Do you need any help?” Annie asked, already standing up.

Sadie quickly shook his head. “No, I just…” he kept his eyes on the ground, pointedly avoiding everyone’s gaze. “I gotta use the bathroom,” he mumbled, already making his way out of the bathroom and down the hall to Beth’s guest bathroom.

Sara and Kenny exchanged looks as Annie and Noah exchanged hushed words, both looking equally upset and frustrated.

Rio and Beth must’ve looked the same because Kenny leaned over and asked Beth if everything was okay.

Beth gave Kenny a tight smile. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Everything tasting good?”

Kenny nodded, but didn’t seem to believe a word Beth said.

She began pushing the food around her plate, her appetite officially gone. She looked up to look at Ruby who gave both her and Annie pitying looks and conveying with her eyes that this dinner would not last for the rest of eternity. Despite how things might feel at the moment.

Rio gave a heavy sigh, pulling his phone back out and typing something out. But despite how curious Beth was, she refused to look over to see what he was doing.

A few minutes later, Sadie came back and sat down, a smirk on his face.

Annie tilted her head a little and gave him a curious look. “Everything good?” Beth heard Annie asking over the rest of the kids talking.

Sadie nodded, still smirking before glancing to Rio who just gave Sadie a slight shrug and seemed to be trying not to smile.

And whatever tension there was had somehow disappeared.

While Ruby and Stan shared a story about one of their past Thanksgiving with Stan’s family that held the attention of the whole table, Beth leaned over to Rio and whispered, “What did you do?”

Rio looked at her with a small smirk. “I fixed things.”

“Okay…but how?”

“Don't worry 'bout it," he said with that infuriating smirk and shrug.

The dinner continued, with Ruby, Annie, and Beth sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting for the ticking time bombs named Rio and Noah to go off again. Stan actually kept Rio occupied, joking easily with him, the two teasing each other and pulling out stories from the kids and the conversation flowing easily.

The only odd one out was Noah and Beth couldn’t bring herself to care.

Some of the kids asked for seconds, specifically Kenny and Danny. Beth was sure they were closely approaching the point in their adolescence where they would eat everything in sight and always leave her with an empty fridge. Almost everyone was done eating at this point, listening to Harry, Marcus, and Jane speaking over each other to see who could tell a joke first or Emma and Danny giving a detailed explanation of why they should’ve started with desert first. Sara, Kenny and Sadie were too busy looking at something on Sadie’s phone, suppressing laughter and occasionally glancing up at Rio before covering their mouths to hide giggles.

And Ruby was right. This dinner wasn’t going to last an eternity and they were almost on the other side with minimal conflict.

Beth adjusted in her seat, deciding now they could go around the table and say what they were thankful for when her phone began ringing.

Glancing down, she suppressed a groan.

It was a video call from Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's be honest, they definitely behaved a little bit because the kids were at the table...but once they finally leave because they're done eating and adult talk is boring...? Oh, that's going to be a fun theme to explore for the next chapter!
> 
> Also, here's link to the kind of table that Beth has. That's probably not what's actually in the show, but for fic purposes, this is kind of what I was imagining, except two extra chairs on each side: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiyjsrgu_LlAhWiPH0KHaJHDeQQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftoddwilliams.co%2Fdining-room-tables-that-seat-16%2F&psig=AOvVaw1Bvwd8rbXmMTePkjHFBoqZ&ust=1574122038557562


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear readers! I apologize so much for the delay! I really did have it planned to be up before Thanksgiving, but...here we are 😬😅 I just had a whole lot of family and work stuff come up.
> 
> Anyways, here's the final chapter of this mini-fic! I'm going to be honest and say that I'm not too sure about this ending, but, this is what's come out after all the editing I did! Hope you dears enjoy this and let me know what you think!
> 
> Thanks always for reading!!! 💕💕💕

Beth ignored his call. But not fast enough.

“Why didn’t you answer him?” Danny asked, already reaching for Beth’s phone to call Dean back.

She placed a hand on her phone, blocking him from taking it. “No, not right now,” she said softly, not wanting to gain anyone else’s attention.

Except Rio’s eyes were already on her.

“But Mooommm-!”

The phone started ringing again. Another video call from Dean.

She silenced it again and before Danny could get even louder, she brought her face close to his and began speaking in a hushed whisper. “We’re going to say what we’re all thankful for and then you can call him.”

“But why don’t we have him on the phone while we say all of that?” Danny whispered back.

At least he was whispering and no one else seemed to notice what was going on. Especially since Harry had pulled Rio into a conversation.

Beth could feel the tension in her shoulders growing. If she hadn’t developed new knots in her shoulders from Noah being here, she was definitely getting them now. “Danny, please. Let’s just all say what we’re thankful for really quick and then you can call your dad back.”

Danny huffed, slouching in his chair and crossing his arms. But at least it seemed like Beth had won the argument.

Beth cleared her throat to grab everyone’s attention, looking at them all, but pointedly avoiding looking at Noah. “Why don’t we go ahead and say what we are all thankful for? Jane, honey, why don’t you start?”

And of course, Jane raised her shoulders in a sudden burst of shyness, despite the fact that she had spent the entire dinner talking and laughing loudly. “I’m thankful for all the good food and my family and that Rio came too," she mumbled out.

Beth didn’t have to look to know that Rio had a satisfied smirk on his face after Jane’s statement. “Marcus, what about you?”

Marcus reacted in almost exactly the same way that Jane did. The only difference was that he looked to Rio and asked with a small whine. “Do I have to? We already did this with Abuela.”

Rio shook his head. “Nope. Gotta do it again, pop.”

Marcus looked down at his plate, picking up his fork and pushing around the leftover food. “I’m thankful for my Daddy and my all my family and for-“

“And for me, right?” Jane interrupted as she brought her face inches away from Marcus.

Marcus scrunched up his nose and backed away. “Yeah, but why do you always have to get so close to me?”

Then Jane threw her arms around Marcus and pulled him into a reluctant hug, earning laughter from the adults and Beth attempted to use her words to get Jane off of him while Rio laughed the loudest.

And it was just enough distraction that when Beth’s phone rang again, Danny grabbed it before she could.

“Hi Dad!”

“Daddy’s on the phone?!” Emma exclaimed, jumping out of her seat and crowding behind Danny to be a part of the call.

Beth bit the inside of her cheek as she saw the rest of her kids gather around Danny, all of them talking at once and trying to get in better view of the camera.

They were on the phone now and there was no way to get them off. The one Boland tradition that Beth tried to keep this Thanksgiving was broken by Dean Boland himself.

Beth knew she had lost their attention and it would be impossible to try and get them to sit down again to say what they’re thankful for. She decided the best thing to do would be to just dismiss them already so they could talk to their dad. Then she could start gathering up all the dishes and pull out the _real_ drinks.

But before she could dismiss them, Kenny had managed to grab the phone from Danny. “Look who came to eat with us today, Daddy!”

Jane had the phone’s camera pointed directly at Rio. And, of course, Rio gave a smug smile and wave.

She could hear Dean spluttering on the other end, but Kenny didn’t seem to notice. He moved on to point the phone’s camera at everyone else, telling him every single word that was spoken during dinner while the rest of his siblings argued and attempted to take the phone away from him.

Before Kenny could point the phone in Annie and Noah’s direction, Beth took the phone up and ended the call.

Protests immediately rose up, but Beth ignored them all as she stood. “How about you kids go into the living room and put on _A Christmas Carol_ or something?” she said, herding her own kids with one hand and using the other to motion for the others to join them. Danny and Emma were the two protesting loudly at not being able to talk to Dean. But she ignored them and put the movie on.

Her phone started ringing almost as soon as she got the movie going. Dean’s name flashed on the screen. At least he wasn’t trying to video call this time.

She looked to the table and saw Annie get up, a scowl on her face, as she grabbed Noah’s hand and led him outside. Ruby and Stan grimaced as they got up as well and began clearing off the table while whispering. Rio got up as well, looking directly at Beth.

“I’ve gotta take this,” she said, her voice coming out apologetically.

Rio just gave a small nod, then joined Ruby and Stan in clearing off the table, bringing the Hill’s whispering to an end.

Beth answered just before the call could go to voicemail. “What Dean?” She couldn’t keep the bite from her tone as she went into her bedroom.

_“What the hell, Beth? What is _he_ doing there?!”_

Beth took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “He’s a guest here. You don’t get to say who can come over and who doesn’t.”

_“I don’t want him around _our_ kids though!”_

“Okay, then why don’t you be the one to tell them? And go ahead and explain to them why you don’t want him around.”

_“It’s because he’s dangerous,_”

“Oh my God, you know it’s not about that!” Beth yelled. Then she squeezed her eyes shut and prayed that her voice didn’t carry to the living room. “Why are you calling anyways? We agreed that the kids would call once we were done with dinner.”

Dean didn’t answer for a few moments. Then he finally mumbled out. _“I thought you forgot or just…”_

Or just didn’t want the kids to call him.

Beth huffed a little. “I’m not trying to separate the kids from you. I wouldn’t do something like that.”

Even if he’s done that same exact thing to her.

“They’ll call you back in a little bit.”

_“All right,”_ Dean said after giving a huff.

Beth waited for half a moment for Dean to apologize. But he wouldn’t do that. Because she knew him and she knew he didn’t see anything wrong with what he did.

She hung up and took a deep breath. This Thanksgiving was not going the way she wanted it to.

* * *

Rio didn’t look up from the casserole dish he was washing when Stan stood next to him and began drying off the cleaned dishes.

Ruby had gone outside to sit with Annie after her yelling match with Noah. Rio could almost make out every single word. Which was why he went into the living room and turned up the volume on the TV. He noticed Sadie’s hands that were clenching a pillow to his chest, relaxed a little as he turned up the volume.

The two continued their yelling while Stan tried making conversation with Rio and Ruby. Neither were in the mood to talk though, each for their own reasons.

The yelling finally stopped, Annie and Noah apparently coming to some kind of ultimatum. Then Rio couldn’t help but watch as Noah walked away from Annie, going around to the gate leading to the driveway and continued walking.

That’s when Ruby stepped out, grabbing Annie by the hand and sitting down with her on the picnic bench.

“I always thought the Marks women always had terrible taste in men,” Stan said quietly as he watched Annie resting her head on Ruby’s shoulder.

Rio finally looked up with a raised eyebrow at Stan.

“Well, I mean, talking about this guy and her other ex’s and then Beth with Dean and…I’m not putting you in that group at all. I mean, yeah, your _job_ ain’t the…” Stan swallowed hard and gave a small nervous laugh.

Rio handed the washed casserole dish to Stan and picked up a serving spoon. “We ain’t an ‘item,’” he finally said.

Stan frowned a little. “Maybe not officially…”

Rio cast him a glare and Stan held up his hands in mock surrender. “Whatever you say man. But all I’m sayin’ is that you did get invited over for Thanksgiving.”

“’Cause of the kids.”

Stan snorted as he set the dried casserole dish aside and picked up a handful of silverware. “Whatever you say,” Stan repeated.

And as much as Rio liked the guy, he found this conversation annoying. Because it was something he didn’t want to think about right now. Sure, he had Beth had ‘made love’ twice now and maybe he kissed her more often and made innuendos every chance he could.

None of that meant a thing though.

Except he knew there was a line of people that would say the exact opposite. Starting with his mother and Stan would probably be right behind her.

They finished cleaning up the rest of the kitchen and dining room in relative silence. Once done, they went into the living room. Stan squeezed his way on the couch in between Harry and Sara, while Rio opted for a spot on the floor against the wall, but still in clear view of the TV. As soon as he was settled, Marcus and Jane both jumped up in an unspoken race to see who would sit on his lap first.

Jane won, much to Marcus’ dismay. But Rio lifted his arm and let Marcus snuggle up against his side in a consolation prize.

Scrooge was finishing up his time with the ghost of Christmas present when Beth came back out of her room. She looked into the living room, meeting Rio’s eyes only for a second before roaming around again. “Where’s Ruby and Annie?”

“They’re out back,” Stan answered without taking his eyes off the TV.

Beth made a small noise of acknowledgement before walking out to the backyard.

Rio watched her walk away, seeing all the new tension in her shoulders. Maybe he could get her to sit down and rub out some of those knots for her.

Rio didn't move from his spot, watching the TV, but his mind elsewhere. He thought about work, the deals he was going to have to take care, debts he needed to collect. Of his family, all the decorations he was going to have to help his mom with tomorrow.

And of course, he thought of Beth. Nothing in particular, just...her.

He brought a hand up to drag across his face, the tiniest bit of concern building at just how much Elizabeth Boland invaded his mind.

When the movie ended, Kenny got up and began pulling out options for the next movie. He held them up while the kids shouted out their strong opinions on each option.

Beth still hadn’t come back inside with Ruby or Annie. Rio didn’t think they would be coming in anytime soon.

It was already dark outside and even though Marcus was putting his two cents in on what movie to watch, Rio figured now was as good a time as any to leave. Let Beth deal with whatever family problems she had right now.

Rio got up, Jane and Marcus not even noticing as they were so engrossed in the movie poll. His knees popped as he stood and went to grab their coats.

Before he could though, there was a knock at the door.

The kids didn’t hear it and Stan was stuck playing referee. So Rio went to answer it.

It was Noah.

Rio didn’t step aside to let him in. “You cooled off?” he asked, tilting his chin up just a little.

Noah clenched his jaw. “Where’s Annie?”

Rio shrugged.

Noah let out a slow breath, seeming to bite back some comment.

Rio smirked.

“We rode together and she said she’s about to leave.”

“And you didn’t think to get an uber?”

Noah clenched his fists. “This is between me and Annie.”

“Yeah, but it’s going to end up affecting other people here too. Sadie. Elizabeth. Hell, all those kids in that living room are gonna be affected someway or another.” Because he knew how strong the bond was between those three women. Rio shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Why don’t I give you a piece of advice?”

Noah opened his mouth to protest, but Rio continued. “Cut your losses now. I think you both know this ain’t goin’ anywhere. Drag this out and it’s gonna get messy for everyone involved.”

Rio could tell Noah knew this too. But then Noah squared his shoulders and tilted his chin up as well. “And why do you care so much? This isn’t your family. They’re _nothing_ to you. You’re just a gang lord with a pile of puppets at your feet.”

Rio’s look darkened and he took a step forward, invading Noah’s space. He had to give it to him, though. Noah didn’t back down and kept his gaze on Rio’s. “Okay, if that’s how you see it. Let's just say that's exactly what this all is then. It's still gonna matter to me because I don’t want anyone screwin’ up my puppets so much that they don’t deliver. And that’s exactly what you’re doin’ by prolongin' this thing that's already dead.”

In the background, they heard the backdoor open and the three women came in. The kids at this point were shouting and arguing about movie choices and Stan exclaimed that maybe they should just watch the highlights of the football game.

Rio gave Noah one last glare before stepping aside and letting him in. Rio hung back while Noah walked towards the living room. Annie was the first to see him and it prompted her to grab Sadie’s attention and announce that they were leaving.

Stan got up as well and said they should probably be heading out as well and Beth pulled out her phone and handed it to Danny, telling her kids they needed to call their dad.

Rio watched them. The Hill’s trying to get out of there, Ruby and Stan exchanging a look that held an entire conversation. Annie’s choice to turn her back completely to Noah and leave him standing there awkwardly while helping Sadie with his crutches. Beth instructing her kids and suggesting to them that they don’t share every single detail of what happened over dinner.

And then there was Marcus, ignoring all the commotion and moving over to where Kenny had laid out all the movie options and going through them himself, most likely to pick the next one.

For a moment, Rio thought about just grabbing Marcus and sneaking out, bypassing all the goodbyes that Beth was currently exchanging with everyone else. It almost reminded him of his own family, their goodbyes lasting up to an hour even though they saw each other at least twice a week.

But then he caught Beth’s gaze by accident, and just like with Ruby and Stan, there was an entire conversation in that one look.

_Stay._

_Why?_

_Because I want you to._

Rio let out a small breath before giving her a nod. He joined her in saying goodbye to everyone (except Noah of course). His goodbye wasn’t as prolonged as Beth’s though. And while she was standing at the front door, still saying goodbye, Rio put a movie on for Marcus and went into the kitchen to pour a glass of bourbon.

When the front door finally closed and the house quieted down, Beth took a seat at the kitchen island. Rio slid the glass in front of her and she took two generous sips. “Thanks,” she said softly. She looked around the kitchen and dining room, just barely taking in the fact that everything was clean. It looked like her shoulders released a tiny bit of tension. “You didn’t have to-“

Rio shook his head. “Wasn’t just me. Stan and Ruby helped out too.”

Beth pursed her lips, looking back down to her glass and taking another sip.

Rio watched her. Waited for her to say something.

But she seemed lost in her thoughts.

“What am I doing here, Elizabeth?” His voice broke the silence.

She smiled wryly and he knew her mind brought up the same memories he was thinking of. Back to the last time he said that to her.

“Well, I can’t very well give you the same answer as last time since the kids are here.” Her lips turned up into a coy smile.

Rio bit his lip at her bold statement. Rio stepped forward to lean his elbows on the island, bringing his face closer to her. “I don’t know. I'm up for a challenge.”

Her cheeks reddened and she looked back down. He smirked. She could never keep up with this game they played.

He leaned back, giving her space again. “It was a good dinner.”

Beth looked up. “Really?”

Rio never did like how much self-doubt she seemed to have in things like this. “Yeah. Don’t think the kids will forget it.”

Beth groaned. “I kind of wish they would.”

“They ain’t gonna remember the bad parts. Hell, I doubt they’d even remember that a fed was here.”

She scoffed. “Well, I can tell you for sure that's _never_ happening again." She paused for a moment before adding, "Sadie, Sara, and Danny will remember him being here though."

Rio shrugged. “Maybe, but they’re gonna remember the good parts more.”

“It wasn’t like all the other Thanksgiving’s before.”

“And you wanted it to be?”

She considered his words, no doubt remembering every single Thanksgiving she spent with Dean.

Beth finally shook her head. She let out deep breath before speaking again. “Thank you. For coming. It…it meant a lot to the kids.”

Rio smirked, hearing the words she didn’t speak.

_And me too._

He pushed himself off the counter. “We should probably be headin’ out.”

Beth opened her mouth and Rio thought that maybe she was going to ask him to stay.

But then she closed her mouth, pursed her lips and nodded.

“Tell the kids bye for me,” Rio said, once again moving to grabbing their jackets.

“You don’t want to wait for them?”

“Nah. Then I’ll be here the whole night with them saying goodbye.”

Beth laughed a little, knowing it was true. She didn’t get from her seat until after Rio had coaxed Marcus into his jacket. She walked with the to the door, unable to hide a coo as Marcus yawned.

“Aw, honey, you must be exhausted.” Beth reached out to smooth down Marcus hair.

Marcus blinked up at her. “It’s because I’ve been hit by the bad of the pig.”

Beth raised her eyebrows and looked to Rio for an explanation.

Rio just snorted. “I’ll explain that later.”

The three of them stood out on the porch for a few moments. Marcus leaned against Rio’s legs and gave another yawn. Rio looked down at him and smiled. “All right, pop. We’re leavin’.” He waved his goodbye and started down the driveway, tossing the keys to Marcus and telling him to go ahead and turn on the car to get the heater going.

With Marcus running down the driveway, Rio stopped and turned around. He stuffed his hands his pockets and bit his lip as his eyes dragged over Beth’s body. Her cheeks turned pink and he was sure it wasn’t from the cold. “You know what? I’m thankful you stole my money way back when.”

He grinned widely as her mouth opened and closed, trying to come up with some kind of response. With a final wave, he got into his car, made sure Marcus was buckled up in the back, and drove back to his loft. The entire drive, a small smile stayed on his lips as he pictured that flustered look on Beth's face.

**Author's Note:**

> Send me prompts! nachocheese-itsmycheese.tumblr.com/


End file.
